Doctor Susan Vosloo is the first female to qualify as a cardiothoracic surgeon in South Africa. She obtained her medical degree at the University of the Freestate in 1980, which is where her love for surgery began. After graduation, she completed her internship in Pretoria, after which she moved to the Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein. There she spent the year in Critical care medicine, before moving to Johannesburg for her surgical internship.
Dr. Vosloo’s father, who was a surgeon himself, had a great influence on her career. He specialized in Orthopedic Surgery. Growing up, Dr. Vosloo visited her father at the hospital on weekends, which is where she witnessed the good he was doing for his patients. She recalls the love and admiration she saw from nurses, colleagues, and patients alike. She believed this is one of the reasons she delved into the field of medicine.
She had a fondness for sewing and creating practical garments. This was one of the reasons she liked surgery, as she was often faced with stitching and suture work rather than using a scalpel during her time at the university. Dr. Vosloo’s stint in the Cardiac department during her clinical rotations was what ultimately made her move into surgery. She initially wanted to specialize in Vascular surgery, which focuses on blood vessels. This surgical type fascinated her as it was clean, neat, and she found the results very beautiful.
After graduation, Dr. Vosloo started her surgical training at JG Strijdom (now called Helen Joseph) hospital in Johannesburg. Here she was rotated through cardiac surgery, under surgical pioneer Professor Rob Kingsley. As a junior trainee, she received very rare opportunities to perform various surgical tasks. She often placed patients on bypass and opened and closed their chest during surgery. She was very fond of the work, as it specialized in Vascular surgeries. It was during rotation in the Cardio department that Prof Kingsley suggested she specialize in cardiothoracic surgery.
